Artist: Cindy Dauer

11” x 14” acrylics on canvas. Not quite finished.Stacey Abrams, Democratic Nominee for Governor of Georgia, 2018
The first African-American woman to be a major party nominee for governor in the United States.

“We are writing the next chapter of Georgia’s future where no one is unseen, no one is unheard, and no one is uninspired.” ~Stacey Abrams

Lots of progress pics below (some a bit crooked)! The ugly stage is still very hard to push through. The eyes were uneven for some time – it is very helpful to step back frequently to see the bigger picture.

Well, this one feels more complete than previous ones, but still needs a background. Flowers? Subtle, intricate wallpaper pattern? I also wanted to do some more layers on the hair. Perhaps at some point!

reference photo(from Google, no identifying detail)

I have not been trying to copy exactly the photo references I am using, but mainly to use them for proper structure and lighting. I don’t own the photo or rights to the photo, for one thing. Though the Shirley Chisholm painting I recently posted was as close to the photo reference as I could get. (That one was a gift for a friend.)

Lots of reference photos of the painting! You may have noticed I like to start with a toned background rather than white. This was a tip in a youtube video – but I can’t recall which one. It may have been Will Kemp.

Colors! Some of my favorites in fact. I wouldn’t call this done, but the most recent layer of purple/fuchsia using Golden’s acrylic glazing liquid (satin), created a pretty neat effect! And while the photo reference is a pale white woman, it is honestly my intention to expand to all colors and sizes and ages (even if some of those are not realistic).

Lots of progress pics! I am glad visitors seem to like them. I always like to see them on other art blogs! But it can be more time consuming than I would like.

I do not think it is a great likeness, but I still think it’s a neat portrait. I could certainly use some practice with lettering, but that’s ok! I took lots of progress shots. Which helps remind me that the first 70% is terrible and just keep going!

Dangit, I was sure I’d have more done by now. This is still not finished! But I did spend more time on this one so far than any of the earlier ones. And here’s progress pics! The first one is just as it ended last week, with the addition of the dark background.

April 2, 2018 – 112″ x 16″ acrylics in progress

April 2, 2018 – 2 12″ x 16″ acrylics in progress

Maybe one thing I could have asked myself before this would be, “do you think she will look like a zombie if I put grey over green?” Because yes, I did that, and yes, she does look like a zombie. Which is not my favorite. I almost abandoned it here. But instead, I pressed on!

April 2, 2018 – 3 12″ x 16″ acrylics in progress

April 2, 2018 – 4 12″ x 16″ acrylics in progress

I decided on yellows and browns for the next layer but the features are looking much more stiff and I switched to the hair for a bit before deciding how to finish (?!) this face.

Still far from complete! I honestly don’t know if I will be going back to any of these portraits in progress! If too many days pass I tend to start a new one. I should probably stop buying new canvases and try to finish a couple!

Meanwhile as we find ourselves in this bizarre and frightening timeline with ignorant white supremacist loons and their Russian puppetmasters trying to break democracy, I feel it’s important to clearly state one’s objections to this repulsive and frankly horrific state of affairs.

Pretty happy with this one so far! I think I am going to leave it for now, but it may reappear on these very pages in the coming weeks.

Here is proof you can make a decent nose and mouth and eyes if you practice. Which I am trying to do more aaaaaaaah. Have to fix the nose on the right side, decide how to finish the shoulders, and eventually eyelashes. And tone down the pink cheeks a bit. But on to the next one for now!

16″ x 20″ acrylics in progress 1, portrait on green

16″ x 20″ acrylics in progress 2, portrait on green

This is definitely one of my better sketches underneath, and improved the process quite a bit. Obvious, right? I have been watching more videos. I linked some over here! The green background was done the day before and let dry.

So this one is at a point where I may decide to move on to the next one. But that is probably a mistake! This is definitely not *done* but maybe it will never be. Or is that a terrible precedent?! I don’t know. Any insight appreciated.

Anyway, I think I will give this one some more time. I will post an update next week!

There will probably be a new one as well. REALLY trying to paint 5-6 days a week. Progress pics below. See how the mouth was crooked to start? On the other hand, it looked a bit like she was deliberately sort of pursing her lips. But I straightened it and it still needs some fixing up.

After painting every day the first 30 days of the year, I was waylaid by a (small) separate art obligation and then February happened. But now we’re in March. (HOLY COW IT’S MARCH) I am switching from animals to people.

12′ x 16″ acrylics in progress, March 6-8, 2018

I’ve been watching a lot of portrait painting videos. Some acrylic, some oils. The oil painters often do an underpainting in acrylics. I think about adding oils from time to time, but for now I’m going to stick with acrylics until I feel comfortable with them rather than add more complications! (I will add links to some of my favorite portrait painting videos next time.)

And here is the 12″ x 16″ hound dog in acrylics which was the last painting at the end of January.

12″ x 16″ Hound Dog in progress, Jan 26-28, 2018

As I wrote on Facebook: As a side note, many days I feel I cannot post things without acknowledging the absolutely grotesque political environment in this country. I hope we are all trying to help in small ways, however we can. But I can’t be a painter if I don’t learn how to paint. So I’m going to keep doing that. Be kind to each other!

Well I do think this young panda is quite cute. Someone suggested it looks like a finished painting. When I stopped I did not think it was finished because I keep seeing things to fix. But it IS the most finished painting in these first 24 days of acrylic painting.

Jan 25, 2016, 12″ x 16″ acrylics in progress, hound dog

I started this hound after watching this Lachri Fine Art video about painting in a looser style. These early underpainting stages look terrible! She says the early stages always look like she painted them with her feet. On the other hand, they are *slightly* less terrible than earlier this month. :)

As a side note, if I could just add this comment to the universe: Please send Mr. Mueller and his team some extra strength and fortitude to face what’s coming. A dying animal is most dangerous.